Casca gathered the mercenary group together, first in Singapore where he was helped by his friend Van, a Vietnamese national, a Montagnard tribesman called George, his old WW2 Panzer comrade Gus Beidemann and Gus's friend Ali Ben Yousef. They all go to Casca's plantation in Malaya where the rest of the group are billetted and begin their training. Casca also finds a pilot called Harrison who will fly part of the group into the target area in a glider. The plan hatched is to drop into Dzhombe's palace grounds at night, eliminate the dictator and any guards, then withdraw into the countryside where they will be picked up by the NFLK who are co-operating with the white Africans.
They are then flown to the capital of the white African's nation and make base camp there, guarded by the regular army under a Major Montfort. A few days after arriving, and making last minute adjustments to the plan, they set off for Kimshaka City by air. Half parachuted out while the rest landed in the glider together with the heavier equipment.
In less than an hour they had accomplished their mission; Dzhombe was dead along with most of his guards and advisors, but when the mercenaries reached the rendezvous with the NFLK Casca sensed a trap and turned on the anti-Dzhombe faction. His suspicions were proved correct as it turned out the Chinese were assisting them. They killed many NFLK troops and captured a Chinese Major Xuan. In the fighting that followed both forces suffered losses at a bridge. The NFLK, under Major Mtuba, had to detour to catch the surviving mercenaries who lost George and Yousef amongst their dead.
Casca led the survivors by truck to the south to try to get away. They reached a village and learned there was an airstrip run by the Dutch to the south so after abandoning a half-track they loaded up the two remaining vehicles and headed towards the airstrip. They crossed the border with neighbouring Barotseland at night and got directions from an old prospector and made for the plane, just ahead of their pursuers. There was a brief fight at the airstrip before most of the mercenaries got away in the plane, but Gus was badly wounded. Casca was hit in the leg and left behind, but he commandeered a jeep and took off for Rhodesia, pursued by four of the surviving NFLK soldiers under Mtuba.
The plane landed safely in Rhodesia and the Chinese major was taken away for interrogation. Van and the pilot, Harrison, met up with Montfort and van Janich and informed them of the NFLK's involvement with the Chinese. Meanwhile, Casca abandoned his jeep and headed for the Zambesi river on foot, not knowing the NFLK patrol had got there first. Casca spotted one of them on guard, killed him and crossed the river, killing another guard. There was a brief fight and Casca broke into Rhodesia, pursued now only by Mtuba.
Xuan reveals the Chinese infiltration of the NFLK while Montford, van Janich, Van and Harrison commandeer a helicopter to rescue Casca. They learn of Gus's death in hospital before they set off, then find Casca close to the border with Mtuba as his prisoner. When Casca hears of Gus's death he throws Mtuba out of the chopper at 3,000 feet.